After a public hearing on March 24, the Algoma Plan Commission unanimously approved a proposed site plan for a new GrandStay hotel in Algoma and sent its recommendation to the Algoma City Council.

At the hearing, Keller Structure Inc. of Green Bay presented preliminary plans for a four-story hotel that would include a conference center for up to 200 people. The hotel would have approximately 50 rooms and a full-size pool with views overlooking Lake Michigan. It would be located between First and Second streets on Clark Street in the city.

"We are pretty excited about it," said Algoma Mayor Wayne Schmidt. "The new hotel will promote everyone's business."

Schmidt said that the developer, Michael Lindner, was hoping to begin construction in the summer or fall. Schmidt said that he hoped the hotel would be completed by Farm Technology Days scheduled for July 2017.

He said that the layout to the hotel would be similar to a GrandStay Hotel in Sheboygan and that the preliminary designs showed an attractive building of brick and a stucco-like material. The conference center would be located on the first floor, along with a kitchen for catering and a breakfast area for hotel guests.

"The developers were looking for good views of the lake and walking distance to the businesses downtown," he said.

Approximately 30 people attended a preliminary hearing prior to the vote and most spoke in favor of the hotel, said Schmidt. There are still several issues that need to be addressed, including redesigning parking stalls on Park St, abandoning an alley owned by the city that connects several of the proposed parcels and obtaining more details on a retention pond to be located east of the site, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said that the City Council was expected to vote on the Plan Commission's recommendation at its April or May meeting.